Dear friends,

I hope you are well and keeping happy, healthy and positive in these crazy times.

I have some big news to share with you all – and my feelings are mixed as I share it. I am both a little sad as this is the end of a huge life chapter for me, but I am also very excited about the adventures ahead. After 52 years of teaching yoga, the time has come for me to hang up my leotard.

My last live lesson will be on Friday December 1st 2023.

Yoga has given me so much, please allow me a couple of minutes to explain.

Winter 1971. I was living in Scotland and I remember the day so clearly. It was a very cold and misty day; we had just moved into a lovely old house with 2 children under the age of 3 and a crazy young boxer dog, Tigger. I didn’t know anyone and needed to make some new friends. With the aim of getting to know the locals (and get my body back into shape after having 2 kids!) I looked through the local paper. There were two classes available: curling and yoga. Curling never really grabbed me (!) so I called the yoga number and found myself at the back of a class of extremely agile people - no-one had really heard of yoga back then but I was stiff, very tired and stressed and happy to give it a go.

I left the class an hour later, feeling great and walking on air. I knew immediately that yoga was for me. I started to practise regularly and became so pleased with my new yoga toned shape, energy and positive attitude that I wanted to share the benefits – and so I trained to teach.

For over five decades I have been privileged to help so many people learn about yoga and its amazing benefits - from agility to the ability to relax, from a toned body to supple spine. It’s been amazing and so rewarding watching you all discover the yoga glow. And I have been very lucky - I’ve been able to share my yoga teachings not only in classes but also through books, DVDs, TV appearances, live events, magazine interviews and on YouTube. I am so grateful that yoga has given me the flexibility, strength and energy to keep teaching all these years. That young mum in her late twenties would never have believed that, due to yoga, I would still be bending and stretching at 81.

However one thing yoga teaches us from the get go is to listen to our bodies: my body is now telling me to relax and retire and my mind is telling me that there is still a lot of world to see!

My husband and I both spent our early twenties travelling - it’s how we met - and it’s time now to head off and enjoy the countries we haven’t been to while we can. I’m very excited about 2024 and the adventures it has in store. My bucket list is long!

I will of course continue to practise yoga daily and I hope you will too - it is the greatest gift you can give yourself - and my workouts will of course stay on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/Barbaracurrieyoga

Here’s to a very merry Christmas and fantastic 2024.

With love

Barbara Currie

Barbara Currie has been awarded the "Champion of Style and Spirit" by Mayfair Times.

The inaugural Champion of Women Awards organised and hosted by The Dovetail Agency, raised more than £100,000 in support of cancer charity Maggie’s Centres on Friday 29th September 2017. Held at The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel on Piccadilly in Mayfair, more than 380 women celebrated the success of inspirational women.

The Champion of Women Awards recognise the achievements and compassion of women who support other women and young girls and have excelled in their field of business across television and film, sport and fitness, fashion and beauty, travel and lifestyle, medicine and finance. The awards were founded by Jayne Alexander, Founder and MD of The Dovetail Agency in celebration of the company’s 20^th anniversary.